Adam Savage (2017)

Adam Whitney Savage is an American industrial designer and special effects designer/fabricator, actor, educator, and television personality, known as the former co-host of the Discovery Channel television series MythBusters and Unchained Reaction.

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About the Adam Savage Interview

UPDATE: I've been answering questions for 90 minutes, and I have to do some filming now with Tested (I'm building LEGO!). But keep asking questions -- I'll be popping in and out all day.

Since MythBusters stopped filming two years ago (right?!) I've logged almost 175,000 flight miles and visited and filmed on the sets of multiple blockbuster films (including Ghost in the Shell, Alien Covenant, The Expanse, Blade Runner), AND built a bucket list suit of armor to cosplay in (in England!). I also launched a live stage show called Brain Candy with Vsauce's Michael Stevens and a Maker Tour series on Tested.com.

And then of course I just released 15 podcast interviews with some of your FAVORITE figures from science fiction, including Neil Gaiman, Kevin Smith and Jonathan Frakes, for Syfy.

But enough about me. It's time for you to talk about what's on YOUR mind. Go for it.

Adam Savage Sep 14, 2017

Do you think you'll ever return to television? Maybe not Mythbusters 2.0 but the same ballpark?

Breedwell

I will return to television.

Adam Savage

What was your favorite thing you did while working with Michael from Vsauce?

ThesaGamer

Dude just hanging out with Michael and shooting the shit is a treasure. Seriously conversing with him is EXACTLY what you imagine it is. He's inquisitive, attentive, curious and has a great sense of humor.

Adam Savage

Do you or HAVE you ever played DnD or the like? If so what is your most favorite character?

Bonus internet points for a scan of your character sheet.

Also, thanks a helluva bunch for Mythbusters and Tested.

camren_rooke

Yes! I played in high school and was the DM at my local library in Tarrytown when I was a junior in high school. Actually my first kiss came about DIRECTLY as a result of playing D&D.

Adam Savage

Hey, Adam. Do you think Jamie secretly misses seeing you regularly and just won't admit it publicly?

Deeg67

Who the hell knows? Jamie Hyman is a mystery not to be pierced by mere mortals.

Adam Savage

What is your favortie Ghibli film, and why? I'm guessing by the No Face behind you it's Spirited Away.

Mr_Cinnabunns

yep

Adam Savage

What's your best and worst dad joke?

jobodanque

See, this is the worst thing about turning 50, is that all the jokes that appear in my head in the standard joke feet I have running all the time have become data jokes! It's awful! I haven't quite sYesuccumbed to quote that's what she said", but I can't help feeling it's not far off.

edit. Joke FEED. I'm Experimenting with dictation software's for some of these answers yes go ahead and just put that right there, and that's why some of my misspellings maybe

Adam Savage

What's something someone can buy for under $50 that will change their life (for the better)?

bl1ndvision

Fantastic question!!! A great kitchen knife can be grabbed for that much. Too many options. I don't have a definitive answer but I love the thought experiment.

thehamman277

Adam Savage

Slick_Slack

You're going to ask me how is spring candy live? I'm going to tell you which the finest two hours of stage performance you can find in America today! (that's me overselling it again)

Whoops, dictation error. Not spring candy BRAIN candy.

Adam Savage

These questions are great folks! Keep em coming!

Adam Savage

Hey Adam .. How excite are you for the new HellBoy movie ? I saw the picture of David Harbour yesterday and I instantly thought of you and your love for Hellboy.

Also .. bigfan on tested .. I watch your oneday built as a form of meditation.

damn_jexy

I'm super excited, but it is a provisional excitement. I love Guillermo Del Toro's Hellboy movies with such a deep abiding passion, that I can't imagine anything else living up to that. But I'm open to something new and different, and David Harbour is a fantastic choice to play HP.

Adam Savage

Adam ....

Are you day drinking?

babybopp

I'm not. I'm trying to type really fast and not being assiduous about my spelling and grammar.

Also: I don't drink. Gave it up a few years ago as part of stress management (along with meditation and getting 7 hours of sleep every night) and when I realized that in your 40's hangovers last for 3 days.

Adam Savage

seems like a cool dude, nice to have confirmation

demevalos

The coolest.

Adam Savage

Tested.com is great at presenting the world of Matter, but presenting stories about the world of Bits and Code is still a tough sell. I've really enjoyed the Thermal Detonator builds but the electronics and software parts were essentially removed. How can Tested.com bring the excitement of Code to makers?

Fatlimey

That is great feedback! The answer is that we're always trying, and we will continue to. I really appreciate the question.

Adam Savage

Hey Adam, I've always loved following everything you do, from Mythbusters to watching your builds on Tested. What recommendations do you have for someone who likes to build things, but has minimal tools?

The_11th_Hour_Over

start with paper and cardboard. Move to other more advance materials as your comfort level increases. You can do amazing things with minimal tools. Google "Cardboard Armor".

Adam Savage

Discovery has promoted the hell out of your show, and it has a huge fan and fanart base.

What's the strangest place you've seen your likeness?

JudgeHoltman

On a bar coaster. On a date!
(seriously the early aughts were a weird time for me)

Adam Savage

Mrs. Donttrythis must be the most understanding partner in the world. I would love to have the life you have, but if I spent as much time in the shop or travelling as you do, my wife would cut my nuts off. She already complains if I spend an afternoon on a project in my shop. Kudos to you, and how do you get away with it? ;)

fpp2002

I spend a large amount of time with my wife and family. Balance between that and work makes all the difference. Many weekends we do NOTHING and barely leave the house save to walk Maggie and Huxley (our rescue dogs)

Adam Savage

What the hell are we going to do about San Francisco?

busydoinnothin

Good grief I don't know. I've been a Mission boy for much of my 27 years in SF and so much change. How many eyeglass stores does Valencia street need?

Adam Savage

How is the pressure of working on YouTube now vs how it was working for Discovery on Mythbusters?

Anymtoro

Pressure? What pressure? It's been a dreamy couple of years working solely on tested.com

Adam Savage

Is Jonathan Frakes as laid back as Riker?

Are you working on any cool replicas at the moment?

AnEpicFuckUp

He's the coolest dude ever. And you just want to hear him keep telling stories in that beautiful voice of his.

I'm ALWAYS working on replicas. Just finished one last week!

Adam Savage

How do we know it's really you, and not someone in the Mythbusters' Adam Savage mask?!

DesignEnginerd

Noone else would want to wear that sweaty thing...

Adam Savage

If you could steal a smooch from any guy in Hollywood who would it be?

TheOlRedditWhileIPoo

Chris Hemsworth or the Rock.

Adam Savage

What has been your favorite interaction with a comic-con attendee while disguised in costume?

shiruken

Too many to count. Loved heading to Crunchy Roll last month here in the bay area. So much awesome cosplay diversity!

Adam Savage

Hey Adam!
Best road trip you've ever done?

fucktard_

Drove cross country with my boys Thing1 and Thing2 last summer. 14 days of awesome. Devil's tower. Rushmore. We had a blast. I love road trips.

Adam Savage

I am making edits as I go, as I am in high school heading to CAD class now. Anyway, hey Adam, been a fan of your works since early Mythbusters when I was a wee lad. What are your thoughts on augmented reality? Have any interest and/or are you going to be getting a headset? https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/accessories/apd/536-bbbr

BlackHawk8100

I'm sooper excited about AR. I've seen Hololens and Magic Leap (don't ask me anything!) and I can't wait for that future to come!

Adam Savage

Where and when did you met Jamie Hyneman?

strogo1010

On a Russian tramp steamer in the Panama canal.

Adam Savage

Hey Adam, I've loved Mythbusters ever since I was a kid, thank you for so many great shows. We all know you're a massive film fan, but how do you feel about video games? What're your favourites?

Invocalyptic

I think video games are absolutely beautiful, but I do not play them. That's actually a lie, I play one video I have an arcade Millipede in my shop and I played everyday

Adam Savage

Do you have any particular regrets from your days on TV? Any kind of nagging thing you never managed to find a way to get to?

DarthMunchies

I always wanted test vinyl record albums versus versus CD vs. MP3 at different compression ratios.Specifically I would be testing these in multiple environments: a car, a bedroom, and an auditorium. Discovery always thought that was too boring.

Adam Savage

Adam, what has been your favorite cosplay to do at a con? And, was it your favorite because it was the most fun to build or wear?

Sttommyboy

Totoro and NoFace from Spirited away. The response people have to those characters is an anti-depressant.

Adam Savage

It's been a while since you did the video on dovetail joints, I was wondering if you'd had any more success with them since then?

Doctorgear63

Adam Savage

Can you get an updated “Google Street view” done on your shop? I would love to see all the new things you have added since it was done originally.

fpp2002

It's funny should say that, I was just thinking that it's time to upgrade the street view of my Cave. I'll get on that

Adam Savage

Hey Adam, a couple of years ago my husband and I caught the Mythbusters tour in Buffalo NY and loved it. Any plans for more live shows?

Deemonica

Yes!!! I'm touring in Nov/Dec with Michael Stevens from Vsauce. Check out braincandylive.com. Come and see us! I'm very proud of the show we've made.

Adam Savage

Hello Adam, long time fan. What do think about the furure of exosuits or exo-frames to help people with disabilities move around or help replace heavy machinery?

Violentgoth

I love this idea so much.

Adam Savage

do you have pictures of maggie and huxley? also how did you come up with huxley's name?

itssnowinggg

We wanted a literary name, that was important to us as he's such a hound. We first though of Poe but considered it ill-advised to give a name to a dog that was so close to "no". And we're both fans of Aldous Huxley.

Adam Savage

Is working with Michael Stevens really as promising as the memes about him suggest?

McHerwig

Totes magotes

Adam Savage

Adam! Hi!! So sad that OG Mythbusters is off the air, but loving all the things you've done since then! Thanks for continuing to explore your curiosity in the name of science!

My question-- what experiment from Mythbusters (no matter how big or small) shocked you the most? One you were almost 100% certain would go one way and when it went the opposite you almost couldn't believe it.

Thanks for doing this!!

AlexisDemetra

Golf Ball Car. Insane.

Adam Savage

Hi, Adam!

I'd like to ask a more taboo question if that's alright - how do you derive your income? Royalties from reruns, speaking commissions, ad revenue, etc.? I'm so fascinated by the work you do, and I've always wondered how it is financially sustainable.

those_pesky_kids

That's a myth to bust: I make nothing in residuals from MB. That's standard on Cable.

Adam Savage

Hi Adam! I've watched myth busters since I can't remember when, love seeing you on YouTube and kickin' it with Micheal.

Now that Elon has gotten SpaceX up out of the gravity well, will we ever see you up in space doing new crazy stunts on the ISS, The Moon or Mars at some point in the future?

scifigi369

If Elon asks, I'll go.

Adam Savage

What was the best interview you have ever done while doing your podcasts?

Octopus72

The stuff I just did with Syfy (Rick Baker, Neil Gaiman, Jonathan Frakes) was so amazing for me, and so fun to do. I hope I get to do more of those. I've been doing a lot of interviews lately, and I really enjoy it.

Adam Savage

With a last name of Savage, what were some of your childhood nicknames?